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Offense vs. Defense Matchups and Analysis (all times Mountain)

Saturday, Jan 13, 2018

NFC: #11 Atlanta at #1 Philadelphia 2:35pm NBC

Overall rank scoring rank ydg rank
#1 Philly Offense #3: 14 Pass 3 Run
#11 Atl Defense #8: 8 Pass 16 Run

#11 Atl Offense #15: 4 Pass 7 Run
#1 Philly Defense #4: 3 Pass 6 Run

Philly outranks Atlanta 1 to 11 in overall scoring strength as well as in offensive and defensive scoring. The Eagles are tied with N.E. as the best team in the NFL. Philly lost their starting QB, but their offensive strength is their #3 running game so the damage may be minimal. Philly should run well against Atlanta’s mediocre run defense. The BIG problem with Philly on offense could be what all teams, especially new teams, in the playoffs fall into: the team’s brain trust and offensive coordinator tend to get happy feet and feel they HAVE to pass a lot EVEN if, like the Eagles, the team’s best offensive weapon is the run. Philly’s pass attack is mediocre and Atlanta’s pass defense is solid. If Philly leans too much on the pass and ignores the strength of their running game, they may not score enough to win and may increase their turnovers by interception(s). Philly’s very tough #4 scoring defense which is #3 against the pass should slow Atlanta’s #4 passing game. Philly’s #6 run defense should slow Atlanta’s #7 run game. Winner: Eagles.

AFC: #16 Tennessee at #1 New England 6:15pm CBS

Overall rank scoring rank ydg rank
#1 N.E. Offense #2: 3 Pass 11 Run
#16 Tenn Defense #17: 12 Pass 4 Run

#16 Tenn Offense #19: 18 Pass 14 Run
#1 N.E Defense #5: 25 Pass 30 Run

N.E. outranks Tenn 1 to 16 in overall scoring strength. N.E. is tied with the Eagles as the best team in the NFL. N.E.’s #2 scoring offense which is #3 in passing should fly past Tenn. However, N.E.’s defense presents an odd picture. Their scoring defense is a strong #5 but they have very weak yardage rankings against the run and the pass. Tenn scoring defense is mediocre but much stronger in yardage than N.E.’s offense in both the pass and the run. Overall Tenn outranks N.E. in yardage by a lot. When a team ranks higher in points but not yards, it can signal an impending upset. Watch out for this one. It may be closer than we would expect, maybe even one of those famous fourth quarter comebacks N.E. is famous for. Winner: N.E.

Sunday, Jan 14, 2018

AFC: #3 Jacksonville at #7 Pittsburgh 11:05am CBS

Overall rank scoring rank ydg rank
#3 Jags Offense #5: 13 Pass 7 Run
#7 Steelers Defense #7: 19 Pass 27 Run

#7 Steelers Offense #8: 8 Pass 25 Run
#3 Jags Defense #2: 1 Pass 23 Run

The Jags outrank the Steelers 3 to 7 in overall scoring strength. The Jags strong offense has its best opportunities in the run against the Steelers’ very weak running defense. The problem with the Jags on offense could be what all teams, especially new teams, in the playoffs fall into: the team’s brain trust and offensive coordinator tend to get happy feet and feel they HAVE to pass a lot EVEN if, like the Jags, the team’s best offensive weapon is the run. The Steelers’ main weapon on offense, the pass, will be met by the Jags’ #2 scoring defense and #1 pass defense which should slow Roethlisberger and probably cause some turnovers. Winner: Jags.

NFC: #6 New Orleans at #5 Minnesota 2:40pm FOX

Overall rank scoring rank ydg rank
#5 Vikes Offense #10: 11 Pass 22 Run
#6 Saints Defense #10: 16 Pass 27 Run

#6 Saints Offense #4: 1 Pass 1 Run
#5 Vikes Defense #1 1 Pass 5 Run

The Vikes outrank the Saints 5 to 6 in overall scoring strength. These are two teams that match up very well in strengths and it should be an entertaining game. The Vikes’ #10 scoring offense is matched by the Saints’ #10 scoring defense. However, the Vikes have the yardage edge in both passing and running so they should be able to move the ball somewhat. The best part of the game will be when the Saints have the ball. The Saints #4 scoring offense and #1 passing and #1 running offense will be challenged by the Vikes’ defense, #1 scoring, #1 against the pass, and #5 against the run. The Saints should probably run more than pass, but the Vikes’ best defense in the NFL should slow Drew Breese and Co. enough to win, but it will probably be very close. Winner: Vikes.